


How Handcuffs Hid the Shackles

by OhanaHoku



Series: The Scars That Chain Me to the Past [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: And he gets it too, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awesome James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Back in their college days, Can be read as a stand alone, College, College Parties, Gen, Handcuffs, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, I promise, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Nothing explicit, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Past Child Abuse, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rhodey to the rescue!, Scars, Series, Short One Shot, Tony Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Has Nightmares, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, near rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:07:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24298597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhanaHoku/pseuds/OhanaHoku
Summary: When a drugged Tony is nearly molested at a party, Rhodey comes to the rescue.I promise, there is nothing explicit in this. Rated M for safety, please read the tags.Part Two of a Series.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark
Series: The Scars That Chain Me to the Past [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1625857
Comments: 8
Kudos: 94





	How Handcuffs Hid the Shackles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThatOneGirlWhoLikesYaoi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneGirlWhoLikesYaoi/gifts).



> A long time coming, but I finally got around to writing this. This is gifted to ThatOneGirlWhoLikesYaoi. She wondered on the first part of the story if Rhodey knew about Tony's past, so I thought I'd explore the answer to that before getting back to the main storyline. Hope you all enjoy!

Rhodey frowned in distaste as he skirted around a particularly handsy couple making out in the kitchen doorway. So the kitchen was out, as was the living room, porch, and downstairs bathroom. That left only the basement, backyard, and upstairs to check.

The young man frowned as he headed toward the stairs, berating himself for letting Tony out of his sight. He was starting to get a bad feeling, and it was very much so connected to the fact that Tony was a fifteen-year-old at a party meant for college kids, and drugs and alcohol were being passed around like the common cold in kindergarten.

He was just two steps away from the top of the stairs when he heard a panicked cry.  _ Tony. _

Moving faster now, Rhodey rushed to the second room on the right, throwing the door open with a bang.

He froze as anger curled his fist, his vision nearly tinting red around the edges with the pure rage he felt. In the room, a blonde wearing only some skimpy lingerie was straddling Tony’s thighs, the young Stark wearing nothing but his boxers and a pair of handcuffs holding his arms suspended behind his head, bound to the headboard.

And Tony looked absolutely terrified, eyes wild and panicked as he tried to tug his hands free, panicked mumbles leaving his lips. “Let me go, please, don’t, no, no, no!”

“What the hell are you doing?!” Rhodey raged, stomping forward before the shocked girl could answer. He pulled her off Tony and shoved her to the ground, snarling at her to stay put as he snatched the key off the nightstand and unlocked the handcuffs.

They fell from Tony’s wrists, and the teen immediately scrambled off the bed, pressing himself into the corner of the room as he started hyperventilating.

Rhodey turned away from him, though his heart ached to comfort the young boy that he had quickly grown close to, despite only being roommates for a couple weeks. But the girl was looking up at him now with an angry look on her face. Rhodey’s eyes were narrow slits as he glared at her. “You’re going to leave. Now. You will not mention this to anyone, and if I ever see you come near Tony again, you will regret it.”

The girl got up, looking like she was ready to protest before realizing that it would be better for her to just do as he said. She huffed and grabbed her clothes off the bed before leaving.

The young man then turned back to Tony, kneeling down in front of him. “Tony, hey, Tones. It’s okay, it’s just you and me now.” Rhodey murmured, frowning when his words had no impact, the teen both too panicked to register the soothing tone of Rhodey’s voice and too doped-up to track Rhodey’s movements.

So he just sat there with him until Tony had calmed somewhat, seeming more aware, but still a little slow as he blinked up at his roommate. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, words slightly slurred. “Sorry.”

Rhodey just nodded and hesitantly opened his arms. “Do you want a hug?” He watched as tears filled Tony’s eyes before the teen leaned into Rhodey’s embrace, trembling and shaken from the horrible experience.

He shuddered to think what could have happened if he hadn’t been there. He knew that Tony coming to the party was a bad idea. He knew that the teen was too eager to fit in with the college scene, that for all of his big brains, Tony would be stupid enough to try the same reckless recreation that his peers were delving in.

Rhodey tightened his arms protectively around Tony. “We’re talking about this later,” Rhodey informed him, wincing as Tony’s breath hitched. Right, not the time. “Not now, though. For now, let’s just go home, okay?”

Tony nodded into his shoulder, but they stayed where they were for a few more minutes before Rhodey helped him up and into his clothes, keeping Tony close to his side as they walked back to their dorm room.

Rhodey was there to tuck him into bed.

He was there to soothe Tony when his nightmares woke him that night.

For the next four years, his best friend was there to hold him as Tony woke trembling and mumbling about metal around his wrists. There to reassure him that he was safe. To remind him that there was nothing around his wrists.

But Rhodey didn’t know about the scars encircling his wrists. He didn’t know that Tony was not dreaming of his near-rape each night. He didn’t know that Tony was forced to relive his memories of being beaten by his father every time he closed his eyes.

And Tony? Well, he didn’t see any point in reopening old wounds when the new superficial cuts masked them so well.

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count - 810. Oh, Tony. Poor, poor Tony. If only Rhodey knew the truth. Comments are what fuel my soul, so let me know what you think and any suggestions you have for this series!
> 
> Come hang out on my [tumblr](https://ohanahoku-ao3.tumblr.com/).


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